Maximum Weight Loss Guidelines

[Debbie]

This thread was inspired by a suggestion from Frozenveg. Thank you for the great idea.

A reminder of the basics from the McDougall Maximum Weight Loss Book. All of these points are discussed in more detail in the book.

Below some links with more information about calorie density and the starvation mode myth and what McDougalling really is.

Program outlined in the MWL book, page 60.
1. Eliminate All Animal Foods
2. Eliminate All Oils
3. Eliminate All High Fat Plant Foods: Nuts, Nut Butters, Seeds, Seed Butters, Avocados, Coconut, & Olives.
4. Eliminate All Flour Products
5. Eat Whole Grains and Potatoes
6. Eat Legumes
7. Make Green & Yellow Vegetables One-Half to One-Third of your meal
8. Eat Uncooked Foods
9. Restrict Fresh Fruit to No More Than Two Servings a Day, and Avoid Dried Fruit, Fruit Puree, and Fruit Juice
10. Use Simple Sugar Sparingly

Guidelines for Healthy Eating in MWL book, page 67.
1. Eat until you’re satisfied
2. Graze
3. Allow time for digestion
4. Chew foods thoroughly
5. Restrict variety

Weight-Losing Reasons To Exercise. MWL book, page 100.
1. Exercise burns calories
2. Calories continue to burn after exercise
3. Exercise counteracts plateaus
4. Exercise suppresses appetite
5. Exercise reduces insulin
6. Exercise protects and increases muscle mass

Exercise you can live with. MWL book, page 106-107

Aerobics: The best kind of exercise. Walking, running, cycling, & swimming are not only enjoyable but highly efficient ways to lose weight.

Benefits of weight training:
Build a stronger body
Build a shapelier body
Strengthen ligaments
Improve bone density
Help prevent musculoskeletal injury
Elevate metabolism
Increase stamina
Elevate blood levels of HDL cholesterol

Your New Daily Exercise Plan: MWL Book Page 109
1. Get up half an hour earlier each day, or skip a TV program to do a specific exercise.
2. Make exercise a part of each day.
3. Choose an activity that you have always enjoyed and do it at least four times per week.
4. Sometimes purchasing equipment helps to motivate…
5. Invest in a membership in a YMCA, YWCA, or health and fitness club
6. Ask a friend to become your exercise partner
7. Go dancing, a great aerobic (and romantic) exercise
8. Join a walking or hiking club.
9. Check with your local adult-education program for exercise programs.
10. Keep an exercise journal.

Establishing a healthy way of life from page 127 of the MWL book.
Step 1. Be Goal-Oriented
Step 2. Acknowledge Your Willingness to Pay the Price
Step 3. Educate Yourself, Become an Expert
Step 4. Visualize Yourself as Healthy
Step 5. Make a Commitment: It’s Magic
Step 6. Ensure That Your Environment Supports Your Goals
Step 7. Alter Your Coping Mechanisms
Step 8. Join A Support Group
Step 9. Reward Yourself
Step 10. Keep It Simple

About set-points
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2005nl/ ... ushing.htm

Calorie density
http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewt ... 322#p41322

Can You Really Eat As Much As You Want?
viewtopic.php?f=22&t=27333

Starvation mode
http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewt ... 22&t=17541

My favorite all time post about what McDougalling really is:

Its starch based not veggie based
http://drmcdougall.com/forums/viewtopic ... 249#p57249

Mary's Mini McDougall Diet
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/june/marys.htm
http://www.drmcdougall.com/misc/2006nl/july/marys2.htm

[UshaSunrise]

May I ask what's meant by "flour products"?

If I make whole grain flour pancakes with a bit of maple syrup, is that a problem?

[Debbie]

May I ask what's meant by "flour products"?

If I make whole grain flour pancakes with a bit of maple syrup, is that a problem?

Basically a flour is a grain that is no longer intact, or ground into a powder or what we call flour. You can make flour from any grain. All purpose flour and 100% whole grain flour are flours. The latter is prefered to the former.

However, by the "rules" of MWL all flours are not allowed, with the exception of masa or ground corn made into corn tortillas.

Please remember, MWL is not all or nothing. If you want a pancake breakfast for say a Saturday morning, then have it.

[kate11605]

Great! Thanks for responding. I was afraid I was venturing into the "raw food diet", which would have been a no-go for me. So other than fruits and my lunch/dinner salads, everything else is okay to cook/steam/bake..., fat free, of course. Thanks again.

[Terry2eat]

I have a couple questions on these guidelines. First why restrict variety? Second is there a list of what is meant by yellow and green veggies?

I just got Kindle version of the Starch Solution and I already have The All You Can Eat Cookbook. I have been eating a vegan diet without oil, processed sugars and minimal grains for seven months now. I was eating more nuts and avocados and NOT feeling energetic but tired and gained 10 pounds instead of losing 10. So glad to know I just needed to be eating more potatoes and beans which I love! I need to loose 20 pounds now and clean up my health!

Thank you!

[pinkrose]

I have a couple questions on these guidelines. First why restrict variety? Second is there a list of what is meant by yellow and green veggies?

I just got Kindle version of the Starch Solution and I already have The All You Can Eat Cookbook. I have been eating a vegan diet without oil, processed sugars and minimal grains for seven months now. I was eating more nuts and avocados and NOT feeling energetic but tired and gained 10 pounds instead of losing 10. So glad to know I just needed to be eating more potatoes and beans which I love! I need to loose 20 pounds now and clean up my health!

Thank you!

Welcome aboard, Terry! I am so glad you read the book and found us!

Restricting variety seems to reduce the appetite. You can call it the "monotony effect." Also...enough is enough. For example, my diet has little variety but I think it is enough. You can see my story here:

http://www.drmcdougall.com/forums/viewt ... =1&t=26307

It contains a link to my diet.

In regard to green and yellow veggies, see
http://www.drmcdougall.com/free_4c.html

Think about any low starch veggies that you like and add them to your starches to have a wonderful meal!

Enjoy the food and keep us posted on your progress!

[Terry2eat]

Thank you for the prompt response and the helpful information. I will keep you posted with my progress.
Terry

[mcfruitarian]

Hi all,

Thanks for this thread. I have some questions though :

1) What about home juiced carrots and beetroots ? Does this contravene the MWL ? What would be the daily restrictions ?

2) What dressing recepies are you using for your salad ?

Cheers

[VeggieSue]

1) What about home juiced carrots and beetroots ? Does this contravene the MWL ? What would be the daily restrictions ?

Juicing is out for ALL versions of the McDougall program, not just MWLP. The same with smoothies. Dr. McDougall prefers we eat our food, not drink it. And no, lumpy smoothies don't count as "eating." There are multiple threads about this - just use the Search feature at the top of the page.

Ditto for your search for MWLP salad dressings, although most people just use various vinegars or pour things like soup or part of their hot dish over the greens.

[mcfruitarian]

Thanks VegieSue for this clarification.

I have not lost weight since I started this journey almost a month now. As of today and for a month, if I live on :

Breakfast - 2 x cups of rolled oats cereal with dried fruit and banana
Lunch and dinner - Vegies and potatoes

And I exercise.

Will I lose weight ? Are there restrictions on how much I can eat potatoes ? What about golden sweet potatoes ?

Cheers

[TerriT]

I have not lost weight since I started this journey almost a month now. As of today and for a month, if I live on :

Breakfast - 2 x cups of rolled oats cereal with dried fruit and banana
Lunch and dinner - Vegies and potatoes

And I exercise.

Will I lose weight ? Are there restrictions on how much I can eat potatoes ? What about golden sweet potatoes ?

Cheers

Dried fruit is not allowed on MWL because of its calorie density. But there are no restrictions on how many potatoes and sweet potatoes you can eat.

[mcfruitarian]

Thanks TerriT.

Since Sunday, I have stopped all dried fruit and I have been living on potatoes and Vegies and salad. Refer to my McFruitarian 2012 Journal in the Journal forum. Since then, my weight has kicked off downwards slightly. But nowadays, I am bed-ridden.

[Lunch Box Vegan]

oops

[frozenveg]

Thanks TerriT.

Since Sunday, I have stopped all dried fruit and I have been living on potatoes and Vegies and salad. Refer to my McFruitarian 2012 Journal in the Journal forum. Since then, my weight has kicked off downwards slightly. But nowadays, I am bed-ridden.

I'm so sorry to hear that! Are you OK? What put you in bed, if we may know?

[mcfruitarian]

Thanks for asking.

I had a periodental operation with bone augmentation. I swelled and hence I remained in bed. Now fully recovered and all forgotten.

Kind regards